Ex-Sen. Bond making case for Missouri Medicaid expansion

Former Republican Sen. Kit Bond is attempting to make the case for Medicaid expansion to reluctant state lawmakers.

Bond is to be part of a panel discussion Tuesday about Medicaid expansion hosted by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The former longtime U.S. senator has been hired by the chamber to lobby fellow Republicans in the state Capitol who have repeatedly defeated a Medicaid expansion.

States that expand Medicaid eligibility to more low-income adults can receive billions of dollars of additional federal money under the terms of President Barack Obama’s health care law. Bond has said the federal money is important to the financial survival of some hospitals.

Republican state lawmakers have expressed concerns about the potential long-term cost to the state.